Razor blade honing machine



March 28, 1961 T. BONEFF 2,976,651

RAZOR BLADE HONING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 I00 M2 /04 106 1/3 i //4 5 I74 60 j Theodore Boneff INVENTOR.

I In; //2 9 2 30 150 /4/ BY I56 F/g-5 My March 28, 1961 T. BONEFF RAZOR BLADE HONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1958 II III I. I w All! llllv ll IIIIIIIII ill/"A Fig./3

llllllllllll Theodore Boneff 1N VEN TOR.

RAZOR BLADE HONING MAC Theodore Bonelf, 4144 W. Adams St., Chicago, Ill.

Filed June 24, 1958, Ser. No. 744,201

7 Claims. (Cl. 51-111) This invention relates to sharpening devices and pertains more particularly to a device particularly adapted for sharpening or honing razor blades in order to prolong the effective life thereof.

It is a common occurrence among men to utilize double-edge razor blades for a greater or lesser length of time, dependent upon the toughness of the beard and the like and then to discard these blades. In any event, however, the effective life of the blade is relatively short and, in many cases, the user will get but a single shave from the blade before discarding it. However, it means is provided for honing a safety razor blade after use, substantially the original sharpness of the blade can be repeatedly obtained so that a great number of shaves can be had from the same blade. It is therefore of primary concern in connection with this invention to provide a honing or sharpening device particularly adapted for use in conjunction with safety razor blades for prolonging the effective life thereof by permitting a user to recondition the blade after use to obtain substantially the original sharpness thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide an effective and yet relatively simple safety razor blade honing or sharpening device which includes essentially a pair of contra-rotating disks or elements provided with opposed abrading surfaces such that a razor blade held in fixed position therebetween will be sharpened by virtue of the rotation of the disks.

A further object of this invention is to provide an assemblage of the character described including a pair of spaced, parallel and contra-rotating disk elements carried by a common frame assembly and which frame also carries a blade holder mechanism which extends between and is adapted to position a razor blade between the disks with opposite side edge surfaces of the blade along opposite sides thereof held in contact with the respective disks for sharpening thereby and wherein the holder means includes mechanism for rotating the blade about its central axis between positions displaced 180 from each other so as to effectively accomplish a sharpening action upon all four side cutting surfaces of the blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide an assemblage in accordance with the preceding objects wherein a mechanism is provided for automatically moving the blade between its positions displaced 180 from eachother.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a safety razor blade honing mechanism characterized by the provision of a pair of spaced, parallel contra-rotating disks having abrading means on their opposed inner surfaces and carried by a common frame assemblage which also carriesa razor blade holder mechanism which extends radially between the disks and which is adapted to hold a razor blade in angular bridging relation between the disks so that opposite side cutting edge portions, on opposite sides of the blade, are held simultaneously in engagement with the respective disks and wherein the holderhas associated therewith means for 6 ice rotating the same about its longitudinal axis to periodically move the razor blade held thereby out of engagement with the disks to permit mechanism, included in the holder means, to effect the rotation of the blade about its central axis between positions displaced from each other so that all four side cutting edges of the blade are ultimately engaged by the disks and sharpened thereby.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the razor blade honing machine illustrating the disposition of the handle mechanism and variouscomponent parts of the machine;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but taken on the opposite side of the assemblage;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 33 in Figure 1 illustrating the construction of the device internally thereof and showing an associated razor blade in operative position relative to the abrading disks;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4-4 in Figure 3 and further illustrating the details of the internal construction of the assemblage;

Figure 5 is a plan view in a portion of the device in the region of the cover mechanism thereof and showing details of the tensioning mechanism;

Figure 6 is an elevational view showing a portion of the inner side of one of the disks and illustrating the disposition of the cam and release mechanism thereon;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the assemblage shown in Figure 6 and illustrating further the details of the release mechanism and of the cam;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showing the opposed disk;

Figure 9 is an enlarged view, in elevation, illustrating the blade honing mechanism;

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the blade honing mechanism;

Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical'section taken through the blade honing mechanism as indicated in Figure 9 by the section line 11--11;

Figure 12- is a horizontal section, enlarged, taken substantially along the plane of section line 12-12 in Figure 9 and illustrating the operating mechanism for the blade turning assembly;

Figure 13 is a plan view of the rack assembly for actuating the turning movement of the blade holding assembly; and

Figure 14 is a vertical section showing further details of the tensioning mechanism.

Referring at this time more particularly to Figure 3 the invention consists essentially of a pair of opposed, and spaced, parallel disks or plates 10 and 11 of circular configuration, the disk 11 being provided with a centrally disposed hub portion 12 and the disk 10 being provided in its central portion with a ratchet wheel 13. Each of the disks is centrally apertured to receive therethrough a bearing sleeve 14 and, extending through this sleeve is a retaining bolt 15 having its head 16 hearing against the outer side of the hub 12 of disk '11 and with the nut 17 thereon bearing, through washer 18 against a collar 19 journalled on the sleeve 14. The collar 19, in turn, bears against the ratchet wheel 13 and is provided with a laterally and radially extending portion 20 having an elongate slot 21 therein, see particularly Figure 1.

Pivotally carried as by pin 22 at the outer end of the extension 20 is a handle lever 23 by means of which the collar 19 is rotated on the bearing sleeve 14 for thepurpose of rotating the disk 1! directly through the ratchet mechanism indicated generally by the reference character 2d. The ratchet mechanism consists essentially of a slide 25 having a central portion 26 projecting within the slot 21 and opposite sides or arms 27 and 28 in embracing relation thereto so as to permit longitudinal sliding of the slide While retaining the same thereon. The slide also includes a pawl element 31? engageable with the teeth 31 on the ratchet wheel 13 and an ear 32'on the slide is connected by means of spring 313 to the collar itself so as to normally urge the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

Fixed to the inner side of disk 10 is a bevel gear 35 which meshes with a further bevel gear 36 carried on the reduced inner end portion 37 of stud 38, this reduced inner end portion of the stud being threaded into a sleeve 39 surrounding the bearing collar 14. Fixed to the opposed inner central portion of the disk '11 is a further bevel gear 46 which is likewise in mesh with the bevel gear 36, the net result being that as the handle 23 is rotated, the disk 11) in one direction and the disk 11 is rotated in the opposite direction through thebevel gears 35, 36 and 4t).

Surrounding the two disks is a cylindrical frame 45 through which the outer end of stud 38 projects and which is provided thereon with a nut 46 serving in part to properly locate the frame. However, the sleeve '39 carries a plurality of radially projecting arms 50, '51 and 52, see particularly Figure 4, by means of which the frame 45 is rigidly connected to such sleeve and is immovable with respect thereto.

The frame is provided with an access opening 53, and normally closing the same, is a door 54 which carries a blade holder indicated generally by the reference character 55 and which extends radially with respect to the disks 1'0 and 11 as will be best seen in Figures 3 and 4.

The door 54- is hinged to the frame by means of a pintle pin 56 extending through hinge ears 57 on the door and hinge cars 58 on the frame proper so that the door may be swung outwardly to uncover the access opening into the frame and to swing the blade holder 55 outwardly for removing or positioning a blade thereon.

The blade holder, as can be best seen in Figures 9, l0 and 11, consists of an elongate threaded shank portion 69 provided at its inner end with an enlarged flange 61 having an annular recess 62 therein and, on the other side of the flange, a longitudinally extending and elongate tine 63 having a flat surface 64 coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the spindle portion 60.

The tine 63 is provided in an intermediate portion thereof with a transversely extending notch 65 within which a blade flipping assembly 66 is received. The blade flipping assembly includes the plate portion 67 which is of generally oval shape having a circumferentially extending peripheral groove 68 therein and which is provided on one side thereof, with a stem 69 extending tln'ough the aperture 71} in the tine and which has a circumferential groove 71 therein to receive the notched lower end of a locking bar 72 therein to prevent removal of the flipping assembly from the tine 63. The flipping device includes further a stem portion 75 adapted to be projected through the central portion of the razor blade 76 and, as will be noted from Figure 9, this stem portion is of non-circular shape so as to non-rotatably afiix the razor blade thereto. A further locking bar 77, has its notched lower end received in the notched portions 78 and 79 of the stern portion 75 to retain the blade in place on the holder.

Journalled within the recess 62 in the flange 61 is a generally cylindrical drum assembly 85 having a gear 86 integrally formed therewith at its upper end and including the recessed drum portion 87 in its lower part which is received within the recess 62. Several turns of an elongate strip of flexible material 88 are wound upon the drum portion and project through openings in the flange 61 to be connected, at their opposite ends of the flexible member to spaced points along one side of the plate 67, see particularly Figure 9, and as designated by the reference characters 96 and 91. Thus, when the gear and drum assembly is rotated, the plate 67 will be flipped between the positions illustrated in Figure 9 to a position displaced 180 therefrom to carry therewith the razor blade for a purpose which will be presently apparent.

The stem 66 projects through the door or closure element 54- and is journalled therein, but is provided with a retaining nut 160, see particularly Figures 2, 3 and 5 to properly locate the holder with respect to the cover. Extending through the nut and the spindle 6G is a bar 101 through which the ends of the springs 1&2 and 163 are connected, the opposite ends of these springs being connected to the opposite ends of a flexible element 10 which is cross, which is shown in Figure 5, and which is wrapped several times or turned upon the idler drum element 165 journalled on the door 54 adjacent the free end thereof.

The drum 165 has a hand knob 106 integral therewith by means of which the drum assembly can be turned and the shaft portion 167 thereof is journalled in a suitable boss 188 on the door and extends therethrough as shown in Fig. 14. integral with the drum and hand knob assembly is a finger 1119 which extends, as is shown in Figure 2, laterally downwardly to terminate in a finger portion 113 engageable in one of the several notches 114 in portion 112 of the frame, the purpose of which will be presently apparent. ries an arm 111 which normally retains the door in locked position but which may be swung so as to pass through notch 115 in the frame to permit the door to be swung open.

As the hand knob 166 is manipulated to engage the finger 113 in one of the several notches 114-, more or less tensioning force is applied to the spindle 60 through the element 164 and springs 10 2 and 103 which serve to tension the razor blade 76 more or less against the annular abrading disks 116 and 117 fixed to the inner sides of the disks 1t and 11. In this manner, the rapidity and harshness of the honing action may be regulated by the operator.

The member 66) is provided with a pair of tangentially extending arms 120 and 121, see particularly Figure 10, adapted to be engaged by cams 122 and 123, see particularly Figures 6 and 8, on the inner sides of the disks 16* and 11 whereby the razor blade flipping device is engaged away from the abrading means 116 and 117 just prior to flipping of the razor blade. Flipping or oscillation of the razor blade itself is effected by the tripping elements and 131 located at respective ends of the cams 122 and 123 and which are disposed in the path of movement of the rack assembly indicated generally by the reference character 132 carried by the door 54 in straddling relationship with the gear 86 and with the teeth 133 of the rack in engagement therewith. The rack includes the leg portion 134 which carries the teeth 133, the bight portion 135 and the opposite leg 136, the two legs of which straddle the gear 86 with the rack assembly being sl-idably carried by the door and being freely movable back and forth thereon so that when thus moved, the gear 86 is rotated which flips the razor blade through the flexible element 88.

As is shown best in Figure 5, the peripheral edge portions of the plates 10 and 1 1 carry the cam tips and 141 engageable with the respective tripping elements 130 and 131 so as to engage under the angulated end portions thereof and lift these cam elements in the manner illustrated in Figure 7 such that the later-ally inwardly directed finger portion 151 thereof is withdrawn through its corresponding opening 152 in the corresponding plate to be withdrawn out of engagement with the track assembly 132 and consequently stop the movement thereof. The cam tips 140 and 141 are of course loc ted The inner end of shaft 167 carat such points as to disengage the mechanism after the blade has been flipped.

The tripping assemblies are mounted on the post 153 on the corresponding disks and 11 and include the main body portions 154 engaged over such posts and being normally held toward the respective disks with their fingers 151 projecting through the openings 152 by virtue of the compression spring 154' bearing against the washer 155 and held in position by suitable pin 156, all as is shown in Figure 7.

In operation of the device, the handle 23 is rotated to impart contra-rotary motion to the two disks 10 and 11, carrying with them the abrading or honing members 116 and 117. The razor blade is held in place by the assembly 55 with the springs 102 and 103 imparting, through the position of the member 1%, the desired tension so as to engage the razor blade more or less against the disks 116 and 117. As members 10 and 11 are rotated, the honing action will be effected on the blade until such time as one of the cams 122 or 123 will engage with one of the arms 120 and 121 which will rotate the assembly '55 such as to disengage the razor blade from the elements 116 and 117 and as soon as the rack 132 engages the finger 151 on the corresponding tripping element 130 and 131, the rack through the gear 86 will rotate the gear 86 and correspondingly the spool 85 to move the element 88 and flip the blade around 180. Thereafter, one of the corresponding cam tips 141) or 141 will engage the corresponding tripping element 130 or 131 and thus release the rack and at about this same time, the arm 120 or 121 has become disengaged from the cam 122 or 123, as the case may be, thereby permitting the springs 102 and 103 to re-establish the tension as desired on the razor blade against the honing elements 116 and 117. This general cycle of operation is repeated continuously as long as the handle 23 is rotated, alternately honing the blade edges on opposite sides thereof and along the opposite cutting edges thereof.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and openation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A sharpening device for cutting blades comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, parallel disks journalled thereon, means for imparting contra-rotary motion to said disks and each being provided with abrading means on its inner surface to effect a sharpening action on a cutting blade, a cutting blade holder carried by said frame and extending radially inwardly between said disks and being journalled about its longitudinal axis, spring tensioned pull means carried by said frame and operatively connected to said holder biasing said holder about its longitudinal axis to engage a blade held thereby against said abrading means, said holder including a mounting plate rotatable about an axis perpendicular .to its longitudinal axis and to which a blade may be afiixed such that oscillation of the plate between positions displaced 180 from each other will effect the engagement of all cutting edges of the blade against said abrading means, means for periodically oscillating said mounting plate in re sponse to rotation of said disks, and coacting cam means on said disks and holder for overcoming said biasing means in response to rotation of said disks when the oscillating means is operative.

2. A sharpening device for cutting blades comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, parallel disks journalled thereon, means for imparting contra-rotary motion to said disks and each being provided with abrading means on its inner surface to effect a sharpening action on a cutting blade, at cutting blade holder carried by said frame and extending radially inwardly between said disks and being journalled about its longitudinal axis, spring tensioned pull means carried by said frame and operatively connected to said holder biasing said holder about its longitudinal axis to engage a blade held thereby against said abrading means, said holder including a mounting plate rotatable about an axis perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and to which a blade may be afiixed such that oscillation of the plate between positions displaced from each other will effect the engagement of all cutting edges of the blade against said abrading means, means for periodically oscillating said mounting plate in response to rotation of said disks, and coacting cam means on said disks and holder for overcoming said biasing means in response to rotation of said disks when the oscillating means is operative, said oscillating means including a rack slidably carried by said frame and trip means carried by said disks for periodically reciprocating said rack.

3. A sharpening device for cutting blades comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, parallel disks journalled thereon, means for imparting contra-rotary motion to said disks and each being provided with abrading means on its inner surface to effect a sharpening action on a cutting blade,a cutting blade holder carried by said frame and extending radially inwardly between said disks and being journalled about its longitudinal axis, spring tensioned pull means carried by said frame and operatively connected to said holder biasing said holder about its longitudinal axis to engage a blade held there-by against said abrading means, said holder including a mounting plate rotatable about an axis perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and to which a blade may be aifixed such that oscillation of the plate between positions displaced 180 from each other will eifect the engagement of all cutting edges of the blade against said abrading means, means for periodically oscillating said mounting plate in response to rotation of said disks, and coacting cam means on said disks andholder for overcoming said biasing means in response to rotation of said disks when the oscillating means is operative, said oscillating means including a rack slidably carried by said frame and trip means carried by said disks for periodically reciprocating said rack, said holder having a gear engaged with said rack, and flexible means connecting said gear with said plate.

4. A sharpening device for double-edge razor blades comprising a frame, a pair of spaced, contra rotating disks journalled in said frame having opposed abrading surfaces, means for imparting contra rotary motion to said disks, a holder carried by said frame and journalled for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said disks including a mountingplate journalled thereon and disposed angularly between said disks to position a double-edge razor blade carried thereby such that two cutting edge surfaces on opposite sides of the blade along the two cutting edges of the blade are simultaneously engaged against the opposed abrading surfaces, means responsive to rotation of said disks for periodically oscillating said mounting plate about its axis of rotation disposed at right angles to a plane containing said mounting plate between positions displaced 180 from each other such that all four cutting edge surfaces of the blade are exposed to action by the abrading surfaces, and coacting cam means on said disks and holder for biasing said holder in a direction to move a blade held thereby out of engagement with said abrading surfaces as said mounting plate is oscillated about its axis of rotation.

5. A sharpening device for double-edge razor blades comprising a frame, a pair of spaced, parallel disks journalled on said frame provided with abrading means on their opposed inner surfaces, means for imparting contrarotary motion to said disks, a tine fixed to said frame and including a portion extending between said disks having a razor blade holder rotatably affixed thereto, said time being mounted for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said disks and the axis of rotation of said holder being at right angles to the plane containing a razor blade mounted on the holder, said holder being angularly disposed with respect to said disks to hold a razor blade cocked between said disks and in engagement therewith, along the opposite cutting edges thereof, with said disks to present an acute angle of attachment between the cutting edges of the blade and the disks, means responsive to rotation of said disks for oscillating said holder about its axis of rotation between positions displaced 180 with respect to each other so as to ultimately apply all four cutting edge surfaces of a razor blade against said abrading means and including a sliding rack on said frame and a gear on said holder meshing with said rack and operatively connected to said holder, and coacting cam means on said disks and holder for biasing said holder on said tine in a direction to move a blade held by said holder out of engagement with said abrading surfaces in response to rotation of said disks when said mounting plate is oscillated.

6. A sharpening device for double-edge razor blades comprising a frame, a pair of spaced, contra-rotating disks having opposed abrading surfaces, means for imparting rotation to said disks, a holder carried by said frame and journalled for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said disks including a mounting plate journalled thereon and disposed angularly between said disks and with respect to said abrading surfaces to position a double-edge razor blade such that cutting edge surfaces on opposite sides of the blade along the two edges of the blade are simultaneously engaged against the opposed abrading surfaces, means responsive to rotation of said disks for periodically oscillating said mounting plate about its axis of rotation disposed at right angles to a plane containing a held razor blade between positions displaced 180 from each other such that all four cutting edge surfaces of the blade are exposed to action by the abrading surfaces, said oscillating means including a rack slidably carried by said frame and operatively. connected to said plate, and trip means carried by said disks for periodically reciprocating said rack.

7. A sharpening device for double-edge nazor blades comprising a frame, a pair of spaced, contra-rotating disks having opposed abrading surfaces, means for imparting rotation to said disks, a holder carried by said frame and journalled for rotation about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said disk-s including a mounting plate journalled thereon and disposed rangularly between said disks and with respect to said abrading surfaces to position a double-edge razor blade such that cutting edge surfaces on opposite sides of the blade along the two edges of the blade are simultaneously engaged against the opposed abrading surfaces, means responsive to rotation of said disks for periodically oscillating said mounting plate about its axis of rotation disposed at right angles to a plane containing a held razor blade between positions displaced 180 from each other such that all four cutting edge surfaces of the blade are exposed to action by the abrading surfaces, said oscillating means including a rack slidably carried by said frame and trip means carried by said disks for periodically reciprocating said rack, said holder having a gear engaged with said rack, flexible means connecting said gear with said plate, and means on said disks for engaging and reciprocating said rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,179,621 Furan Apr. 18, 1916 2,087,172 Tyndall et al July 13, 1937 2,741,880 Falls Apr. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 180,503 Austria Dec. 27, 1954 

